2013 Fantasy Football: Time To Add Percy Harvin

By Dustin Manko

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Everyone remembers Percy Harvin, right? The former Minnesota Vikings best player not named Adrian Peterson finished third in wide receiver scoring in 2011. Then 2012 saw Harvin score 160 standard fantasy points, good for 21st in wide receiver scoring, despite playing only eight games. He averaged 17.7 fantasy points per game, a number any fantasy owner would take in a second.

Percy Harvin is now back in Seattle, ahead of schedule in his rehab. He won’t play tonight, and most likely won’t play next Monday night against the St. Louis Rams, but odds are he will be in the lineup prior sometime prior to the Seattle Seahawks week 12 bye.

Harvin is a first round talent, with game breaking potential. It’s not often that you are able to scoop a player of his caliber off the waiver wire. He is one of the fastest players in the league, and few defensive backs have the wheels to match Harvin in stride. He has some of the best hands in the league, and very rarely drops passes, evidenced by his 87 receptions on 120 targets in 2011 (73 percent catch rate), pretty impressive when Christian Ponder and a past his prime Donovan McNabb are throwing the ball. He’s also strong and fearless enough to go over the middle, and isn’t afraid to take a hit to make a play.

While we don’t know how exactly coach Pete Carroll will utilize Harvin, he was an all purpose threat while a Viking. He took direct snaps, he would run the ball, he attempted passes, and handled return duties. If he was healthy in the summer, Harvin would have been without a doubt a first round selection.

He was the Randall Cobb model before Cobb broke out. He is owned in only 58 percent of Yahoo! leagues, so if you act quickly, you could still scoop him off the wire. Even if he doesn’t play for three or four more games, he is worth the roster stash. Harvin is the type of player who can singlehandedly win a game for your team, and possibly your league.

As always, I welcome your comments. If you think I’m wrong, I’m willing to listen. Just back it up with some facts and solid evidence. Thanks for reading and good luck this season.

Dustin Manko is an author at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustinManko, ”Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google